Within one’s college experience, young students are destined to come across multiple diverse opportunities; clubs, teams, different groups of common interests, etc. However, one significant opportunity that usually gets the worst rep is Greek life. Stereotypes comprise the reputation of students in Greek life, but they’re usually generated from those looking from the outside in. As a young lady who previously believed these outside judgements, I resented the idea of Greek life and sororities in particular. Regardless of my tainted perspective, I decided to give recruitment a shot, with the expectation that I would probably decline my bid. Despite serious hesitation, I abandoned my preconceived contempt and began accepting the unfamiliar world of Greek life. I am ashamed of my initial ignorance, and to repent for my shallow opinions, I feel obligated to squash these one-sided, unrepresentative understandings; as there are enough negative depictions, and we don’t need anotha’ one.

The most classic conception is the idea that those in sororities “pay for friends.” This is wildly inaccurate on account that every dollar that’s paid is budgeted to cover chapter operations, sisterhood events, social events, and mostly philanthropy; nationally and locally. So no, we are not paying people to like us, we are simply paying national and chapter dues in order to participate in events, no different than attending with your non-sorority friends. The one and only difference is one upfront payment rather than multiple payments down the line. The idea that sororities pay for friends is absurd; the unconditional loyalty and close personal bonds between sisters are priceless and you cannot possibly put a monetary value on such allegiance.

Another ignorant perception is that sorority girls are dumb and ditzy, your typical valley girl. If anyone has ever joined a sports team, applied for an internship or any other academic organization, there is usually always a grade point average requirement. Sororities actually compete with each other to earn the highest average GPA to win bragging rights. Everyone needs to rise to standards and succeed academically in order to maintain certain privileges. Not only does every sorority girl need to work towards a higher GPA, but it’s also incredibly beneficial having multiple sisters in the same field who are always available to help. We all want to see our sisters succeed, we are always rooting for each other, help is never scarce and support is always obtainable. With so many connections and resources, it’s nearly impossible to do poorly. That’s not saying if you’re not in a sorority you’re bound to do poorly, and I’m also not saying that all sorority girls do exceptionally well, it’s just a legitimate fact that those in sororities are inspired to do well academically. Additionally, the time management skills you learn being part of a sorority is invaluable. Sorority women balance constant campus, Panhellenic, and philanthropic events, while balancing homework, jobs, and their social life. Talk about walking and chewing gum at the same time, amiright?!

A stereotype I never truly understood, even in my anti-Greek life phase, was the physical appearance of sorority girls. For some reason, people believe that sorority women are always determined to look their best at all hours of the day. Clothing is a personal preference and has no correlation with being in a sorority or not. We are not the ladies decked out in designer clothes and expensive apparel that “daddy” bought us, although some girls can rock it. Clothing and appearance are not driven by sororities, but by personal choices and personal desires to feel beautiful in whatever she chooses to wear, sorority or no sorority. Whether a girl wants to bum it out or dress it up, that’s no business of yours.

Similarly, sorority girls are not shallow or ignorant people. I’ve met extremely shallow girls who are not in sororities, and I’ve met sorority girls with the most selfless of hearts. Hours after joining, I met people who genuinely tried to get to know me. Days after joining, we began seeing each other in a different light, appreciating what every individual has to offer. Within time, everyone’s unique and distinct personalities shine through, and their true uniqueness starts screaming aloud. We are not the shallow girls who only care about how we look, we are not the party girls who hardly remember the nights prior, and we are not the boy-crazed “bimbos” that we are perceived to be. We are the vulnerable girls slowly making close bonds and opening up to each other about personal life adversities. Within time, we learn that collectively, we are the girl who had to fight a life-threatening illness at a young age and bravely pushed through. The girl whose parents are alcoholics and/or addicts that become abusive more often than not. The girl who’s been sexually abused and still carry the scars every day. The girl drowning in insecurities who has made multiple attempts to ending it once and for all. The girl who constantly feels lonely and desperate for something to turn to. The girl grieving over the deaths of close friends and family members.

Behind our Greek lettered shirts, it tells an entirely different story. We carry each other's weight on our backs with strong legs and all. We are, above all, sisters for life. We are the girls that help each other through anything and everything, regardless of whether it’s convenient for us. Not only do we share our defeats, but we share our victories too. Whether it be getting accepted into a prestigious nursing program, landing a renowned internship, or even just sharing good grades on little assignments, we are always each other’s personal cheerleaders, smothering each other with love and support. We laugh, we cry, we hurt for each other because we genuinely and sincerely care about each and every one of our sisters. These moments make me appreciate my sorority for what it really is.

My sad secret that I comfortably shared my daily struggle of constantly feeling unloved and unworthy. These insecurities became nearly paralyzing, being the main reason I was absolutely terrified to do formal rush. My self-doubt became debilitating, taunting me with the idea that I would not make any friends due to my own self-destruction. Almost immediately, I was overwhelmed with girls asking to get lunch to get to know me better. Welcoming arms and warm hearts filled the room as soon as I’d step in. Within weeks, my relentless insecure angst has been slowly fading with every passing moment I share with my sisters. From every pat on the back, motivational pep talk, late night venting sessions, reaching out to older sisters who were once in my shoes, to having an absolutely amazing sister purposely pick me from the crowd to be her little, I have never felt more worthy and wanted. The support and love I feel on a daily basis is astonishing, unbeknownst to anything I’ve ever felt before. I am slowly believing that I am worth so much more. I’m slowly believing I belong somewhere for once in my life.

So, in conclusions, these perceptions are myths created by uninformed individuals with extremely biased judgement. Going from an unwavering outsider who was absolutely repulsed by the thought of being in a sorority, to a die-hard Greek life fan, I can truly say, without bias that simply “giving it a shot” was the best decision I’ve ever made, with tons of sisters who could attest to this. Now looking from the inside out, I can confidently say it has impacted my life in ways I could never have imagined. I feel eternally grateful for this incredible sisterhood driven solely by compassion and the purest of kindness. So stereotypes be damned; we are all for one and one for all.

Ta Kala Diokomen